


smoke

by alexjulies



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 3A Fireflies coda, F/M, mentions of Kate Argent, mentions of Victoria Argent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26116204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexjulies/pseuds/alexjulies
Summary: Derek pulls the door open and finds Allison standing on the other side.The rain falling outside is a soft harmony to the melody of her voice when she whispers, "I don't know why I'm here."
Relationships: Allison Argent/Derek Hale
Kudos: 27





	smoke

**Author's Note:**

> written years ago. reposting from my youshinebrighter21 days.
> 
> takes place after 'fireflies.' 
> 
> follow me on tumblr @ asexuhale

Derek hears the rhythm of her heart before he hears the rhythm of her fist knocking against the door. It makes him pause - has him tilting his head to try and place the pulse of it. Fear? Anger? Worry?

It's almost a combination of all three, though there's an undercurrent of something else that Derek refuses to name. He makes his way over to the door to tug it open, his own heartbeat steadily rising as he walks, and if his pulse seems to be hastened by the exact same things? By the exact same undercurrent?

No one's around to hear it.

Derek pulls the door open and finds Allison standing on the other side, her arms wrapped tightly around her body and her hair falling in soft waves around her face. Derek doesn't say anything - just watches Allison meet his gaze and then drop hers to the floor.

The rain falling outside is a soft harmony to the melody of her voice when she whispers, "I don't know why I'm here."

They're quiet for a few moments after that. Derek's hand flexes and loosens around the door handle and Allison shifts uneasily on her feet, hands idly tugging at the hem of her sweater before she tugs it around her body again. Derek opens his mouth to speak just as Allison huffs out a sardonic laugh.

"I don't know why I'm _here_ ," she says again, though her voice is harsher this time. She meets Derek's eyes, then, hers bright with a fire that Derek wants to be swallowed up in. And it should _terrify_ him, he knows, but he's never been afraid of the flames.

He's terrified of the smoke. The way it clouds up his thoughts and his vision and makes it impossible to discern up from down, right from wrong, _Kate from Allison._

"I can't figure that out for you," Derek replies, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms. 

"I'm not asking you to," Allison shrugs. "I'm just - I want to know why you did it. Why would you give her the _bite_ , Derek, I..."

One corner of Derek's mouth tilts up into a disbelieving grin. "Allison, it was nearly the full moon, I was in a room filled with wolfsbane, and Scott was..."

He can't say it. It's been _months_ and he still can't say it.

"Scott was," Allison breathes, and Derek just nods. He doesn't have to finish his sentence because if there's _anyone_ who understands it, who understands that Scott was _dying_ and Derek couldn't let that happen, it should be Allison.

"The fact that she was alive long enough to - to decide that she didn't _want_ to be alive anymore means the bite took, Allison," Derek says softly. "I didn't kill her."

"No, but you're the one who dug her grave."

Derek swallows. Thunder crashes somewhere in the distance and Allison's face is momentarily illuminated by lightning flashing through the window across the room. Her eyes are glassy with tears that haven't yet crested and fallen onto her cheeks, and Derek has to clench his hands into fists to rebel against the instinct he has to wipe them away.

"Why _are_ you here?" he asks gently.

He watches the slow drag of her brown eyes as they lift from Derek's chest to his mouth. "I don't know."

"Allison."

Her bottom lip quivers. Derek hears her heart miss a few beats and then she's gasping, shoulders shaking as she _sobs_ and asks, "Why do I _miss_ them? Why do I miss them when they - when they did _horrible_ things and they just..."

Allison's falling apart and Derek feels like he's never been whole.

He steps forward and pulls her into his arms, shutting his eyes against the wave of sickness in his gut as he breathes in the scent of her shampoo and murmurs, "You're allowed to miss them. They were your family and you're _allowed_ to, Allison."

"But what they did," she rasps, voice muffled against Derek's chest. Her hands curl into fists and beat against Derek's shoulders and her voice cracks all around the words when she offers, "I'm so _sorry_."

When Derek pulls back, his hands are tight on her arms, jaw set as he shakes his head. "No. _No._ You don't owe me an apology."

//

_"What were you thinking?!"_

//

Allison's mouth parts with a cry that sounds like it _hurts_. Derek knows that all too well. "If I don't apologize, who _will_ , Derek?"

//

_"That I had to do something!"_

//

Derek spends a few minutes just looking at her - just _staring_ at her as the smoke clears and the rain falls harder.

There's remorse and anger and sadness and desperation in Allison's eyes.

Allison.

_Allison._

When the smoke dissipates, Derek's not afraid anymore.

Kate's not here anymore.

"Not you," Derek answers quietly, hands relaxing in their grip on her arms. "It doesn't have to be you."

Allison's only response is the tightening of her hands in Derek's shirt as she pulls him close again. Her breathing eventually evens out and Derek's eyes eventually flutter shut, chin resting gently on top of her head.

Somehow, Derek thinks, they'll end up piecing each other back together.

Somehow.


End file.
